5 players who can replace Jofra Archer in Rajasthan Royals squad for IPL 2021

Jofra Archer is struggling with ankle issue which has escalated in recently concluded India-England test series. According to reports, he will be missing the ODI series vs India and first half of IPL 2021. He plays for Rajasthan Royals in IPL.

Rajasthan Royals don't have a backup fast bowling option if Jofra decides to leave. Mustafizur has made it clear that he will be playing Test series instead of IPL if he is called for national duty. Andrew Tye and Chris Morris are the only options left. Morris has never played a full IPL season before. He is very injury prone. Among Indian pacers, team doesn't have experienced fast bowlers. While Kartik Tyagi is expected to play his role perfectly, the likes of Unadkat, Chetan Sakaria and Kuldip Yadav are very unreliable. Stokes and Dube are not expected to lead the bowling attack with the new ball. Rajasthan Royals must find replacement of Jofra Archer for the first half of IPL. Here are the 5 options that Rajasthan Royals can explore:

5. Mitchell McClenaghan

Rajasthan Royals are going to play 5 matches in Mumbai. Mitchell was part of Mumbai Indians for 5 years from 2015-2019. He played 56 matches for Mumbai Indians and bagged 71 wickets. He has also taken 36 wickets in 25 matches at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.  He provides a left arm angle for a change.

4. Oshane Thomas

Oshane Thomas was part of Rajasthan Royals squad last year as well. He will not take much time to settle in the Royals camp. He has taken 56 wickets in 41 T20 matches of his career. In 4 IPL matches played so far, he has taken 5 wickets. 

3. Naveen Ul Haq

Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen ul Haq could be the next big thing in franchise cricket. He has recently signed with Leicestershire as T20 Blast overseas player. He has also played for Guyana Amazon Warriors in Caribbean Premier League. His economy rate was just 6.4 in the whole tournament. He has taken 58 wickets in 53 T20 matches so far. He recently played in T20I series against Zimbabwe, so game time will not be an excuse if he joins the Royals camp.

2.  Jason Behrendorff

On Mumbai pitches, fast bowlers can get extra bounce and little movement with the new ball. 6 feet 4 inches tall bowler from Australia, Behrendorff is known for his irritating left arm angles at unplayable bounce. He can also get seam movement early on. He played 5 matches for Mumbai Indians in 2019 season. In 4 matches at Wankhede Stadium, Jason got wickets of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu. His economy rate in BBL 2021 was around 7 runs per over.

1. Ben Dwarshuis

Overshadowed by Jhye Richardson, Ben was the second highest wicket taker in BBL 2021. He helped his team Sydney Sixers clinch the title by taking 24 wickets in just 13 innings at a bowling strike rate of under 12. His ability to take wickets in bulk using his variations in death overs is perfect ingredient for a successful T20 bowler. He has taken 85 wickets in just 68 T20 matches. His recent form in Australian domestic competitions can give a big boost to his confidence. He was part of Kings XI Punjab in 2018 season of IPL. Interestingly, Rajasthan Royals engaged in a bidding war with Kings XI Punjab in 2018 auction for Ben Dwarshuis, who was eventually sold in 1.4 crores. He has the experience of Indian conditions and can be an X factor for the Royals.

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